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Monday, May 16, 2011

Pork Loin with Pineapple Relish

Ever feel like you are running in a chicken rut? Yes, chicken is a versatile protein and I’ve made it no less than 100 different ways…but there are times when I just can’t do it one more night in a row. I asked Jim to pick something for dinner other than chicken and he asked for pork. I really haven’t cooked with pork a whole lot. My favorite cut is boston butt or pork shoulder because I just love to slowly roast it and serve pulled pork to a crowd. I used my epicurious iPhone app to search for a pork entrée and just loved the tropical relish proposed in this recipe for pork loin chops.

It’s hot in Texas, so just thinking about the Caribbean climate and the palm-tree breezes had me singing Jimmy Buffett all the way to the grocery store. The ingredient list is short, but each component adds a very special “zing” to this recipe. I encourage everyone to experiment in the kitchen, but know that this recipe was written just perfectly in my opinion.

Yield: Makes 2 servingsActive Time: 25 minTotal Time: 25 min

Yes, I'm telling you that in under 30 minutes (from start to finish) you can have dinner on the table!

Ingredients:1 1/2 cups chopped fresh pineapple. 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh serrano chile, including seeds. 1 teaspoon chopped thyme. I used dried thyme because I had it on hand, I would guess the fresh thyme would be better.1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar. Yes, it’s just a splash but the tang of the vinegar helps with the sweetness of the pineapple and the heat from the chile. 1 teaspoon coriander seeds2 (1-inch-thick) boneless pork loin chops 2 tablespoons olive oil2 tablespoons dark rum. Yes please. I love every opportunity to cook with alcohol. Sometimes I add it to the food.

After talking with the folks at the meat counter in my grocery store, I changed my mind and decided instead to buy two pork tenderloins at a really great price. I used a new roasted and ground coriander in this recipe. If you have coriander seeds in your pantry, use an electric coffee/spice grinder (or crush with flat side of a knife).

Pat the pork dry with a paper towel and sprinkle all over with coriander, salt and pepper.

I bought a jalapeno and I removed almost all of the seeds before chopping. Adjust the chile to your own heat tolerance.

My grocery store is now cutting the pineapple and repackaging it for that “fresh” taste without the hassle. If you want to cut a fresh pineapple, see my step by step photos here.

While Jim cut the pineapple, I prepared our side dish: Brussels! Cooked with some bacon, chicken stock, white wine and golden raisins.

In a mixing bowl we added chopped onion, chopped pineapple, chopped jalapeno and mixed with the dried thyme, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Heat olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté pork, turning once, until well browned and just cooked through but still juicy, 6 to 10 minutes.

Transfer pork to a plate and let rest.

In the same skillet, add the pineapple mixture along with the rum and saute, scraping up the brown bits for a couple of minutes.

I don't always follow the white wine with fish, red wine with red meat rule. I think you should drink what you like, when you want to. Jim and I opened this Sauv from Hauck Cellars in Healdsburg, California. We thought it was delicious with the sweetness of the pineapple and the savory pork loin. This is also the wine that I splashed into the brussels sprouts when sauteing.

We loved this recipe because it came together so quickly and tasted delicous!